What is Teeth Whitening?
Wouldn’t you love to show a beautiful white smile every time you went out like the stars on TV?
Our teeth get stained as we get older and when we regularly consume a variety of foods and drinks including coffee, tea, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar and soda.
Teeth whitening is one of the easiest, quickest and most affordable ways to get that vibrant smile. Our dentist can make your teeth up to eight shades whiter with professional dental whitening treatment.
Can’t I Just Use Over the Counter Dental Whitening Products?
While there is no shortage of whitening products at stores like whitening strips, gels and toothpastes, a dentist can still provide the best results because some of the chemicals that are used in professional teeth whitening treatment that aren’t in over the counter products.
Some over the counter products may contain harmful ingredients that can damage your teeth and people can easily make mistakes during the teeth whitening process. Even if they do work, your teeth may only be one or two shades whiter.
Our dentist can examine your teeth and recommend the most appropriate dental whitening treatment. The dentist only uses high quality whitening products for any type of treatment and adjusts the strength of the gel accordingly.
Dental Whitening Options
The first step is to have a consultation and our dentist who will make sure that your teeth and gums are healthy enough to get dental whitening treatment. If there are any signs of decay or gum disease, these problems will be addressed first.
There are two types of teeth whitening options:
In-office dental whitening
We use the Zoom! teething whitening procedure and it takes less than an hour to do. It would be most effective to have a regular teeth cleaning before doing the treatment.
First, the dentist will cover your lips and gums so only your teeth are exposed. Then Zoom hydrogen peroxide whitening gel will be applied. The Zoom light shines on the gel for 15 minutes to penetrate the teeth and break up the stains and discoloration. While you wait, you can watch TV, relax and listen to music. You can see the teeth whitening results within an hour.
After the short procedure, you will get a Zoom touch up kit that includes custom-fitted whitening trays with instructions on how to use the kit. To help maintain the whitening effects, the dentist may advise you to avoid certain foods and beverages or consume them in moderation like tea, red wine or cola. It is also important to maintain good oral hygiene like brushing, flossing and seeing the dentist regularly for scheduled cleanings.
In-office teeth whitening treatment works very quickly because the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the products is greater than the products you use at home.
Take home dental whitening
First our dentist will take impressions of your teeth and make customized trays that are molded to fit your smile. A whitening gel is put in the tray and our dentist will tell you how long and how often you should wear them. You can choose whether you want daytime or nighttime treatment.
As the whitening gel dissolves, oxygen enters the enamel and the dentin portion of your teeth which lightens the stains on your enamel. You can usually see results in the first week.
Is Teeth Whitening Safe?
According to the Canadian Dental Association, extensive research has been done and it supports that tooth bleaching is generally safe if it is done under a dentist’s directions.
The whitening ingredient is carbamide peroxide which has been proven to be safe and effective in many clinical trials. Many studies have been done on the toxicology of hydrogen peroxide and carbamide peroxide and there has been no association with oral cancer.
It is safest to only use teeth whitening products that are recommended by the dentist. Other over the counter products may have questionable quality and could do damage to your teeth if they are not used as directed or used used too much.
Contact Us
Contact us if you would like to get a dental bridge cost estimate or book a consultation.